


Patterson Joins the Dead (For Real)

by VoltageStone



Series: Trepidations of the Mind [2]
Category: Victorious
Genre: F/F, Jori (Victorious), Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-15 22:52:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14799510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoltageStone/pseuds/VoltageStone
Summary: "True love is like ghosts, in which everyone talks about and few have seen..."-Francois de la Rochefoucauld





	Patterson Joins the Dead (For Real)

_ **Tori's Perspective** **-** _

Drenched, wet, soggy, _whatever_ \- those were the only things on my mind as I remained curled on my couch, huddled with my thick alpaca-fur sweater and purple plaid pants. Even my toes were bundled up with thick, red socks. To my left sat Cat in slippers, a robe and blue pants. We both shivered, even though the thundering rain hadn't been hailed on our skin for nearly an hour. It plundered against the windows and door, sure, but not us. The heater was taking a beating, I can say that much.

As for Jade, though, I can't really say the same. She was too pissed to even venture out of _her_ car - not Cat's brother's topless convertible - to get warm.

It's her loss.

We continued to blandly watch the television, until Cat's phone vibrates against the coffee table. "You going to get that?" She turned towards me.

I arched a brow before muttering, "It's your phone." She groaned quietly, weakly reaching for it. A quick glare was thrown towards me, and I just scoff, "What? It _is_ your phone!"

"But I'm your guest..." I rolled my eyes: She was still going on about the damn conversation from earlier after having me make a huge _pizza_ just for her. Not a slice for me. "Oh, it's Jade," she perked.

"What did she say?" I asked curiously. She furrowed her brows, shifting a careful glance towards me. "What?"

"Nothing," she shrugged, "just she said a lot of bad words."

I grinned quietly to myself before mumbling, "Oh come on. Just tell me."

"'Tonight was the shittiest night ever and I hope all of the fucking tires pop on that stupid-ass vehicle,'" Cat replied, verbatim.

I paused for a few moments, feeling myself swaying with the ideas. "Well...you can't really blame her. I mean, first there was that creep at the gas station and it took us a few times to relight that candle," I mumbled. Cat nodded in agreement, setting the phone to her side. Shifting deeper into the couch, I felt my body tremble lightly at the thought of that candle. Every time we had lit the candle to set along with the other memorial pieces, it was quickly put out. Cat was adamant about having it lit as to not have the house smell like rain, but of cinnamon buns - of all things. Jade hadn't cared, though she wanted to get home (there wasn't any paranormal activity to entertain her). I, however, couldn't help but look at the other candles - they were all merely dried wax puddles in their dishes. The wicks on all of them, however, stood to the full height of each candle, untouched.

Everything about that I had hated. _Everything_.

Jade thought it was cool.

Cat thought nothing of it.

I found it sinister - it didn't belong.

The garage door opened, tearing me from my thoughts. "Hey Dad," I grinned softly before frowning at his own expression. "What's wrong?"

"You two visited Mona's house, right? To mourn and all?" He turned towards us gravelly. We both nodded softly before he mumbled, "Well uh, check the news. It's unfortunate..."

I quickly switched over to the Los Angeles' news network as he strode away, Cat sitting forward eagerly. _"-so by the time firefighters had arrived at the scene, Mrs. Patterson's house was already engulfed in flames,"_ the news reporter - Tom Haiden, I think - publicized, _"and it could not be saved."_

Cat, with her eyes wide, turned towards me. "Our candle..."

"No- _No_ , we don't know for sure...lots of things could start a fire," I said. It was more to assure me that nothing was wrong than anything else. "And besides, the candle kept going out like the other ones."

Cat turned back towards the screen as the video played firefighters putting out the flames with mists of water. "Yeah..." she hummed along.

 _"The cause of the fire,"_ Tom paused, looking at a deadly familiar looking glass jar, _"was this cinnamon bun scented candle."_ We both, in sync, put our hands to our lips - ah _shit_. _"Her house is in ruins and will not be able to be up for sale any longer. The police investigating this unfortunate event cannot determine who's candle this was, only that glitter was spread across the front porch."_ Cat gasped, clutching her hair nervously. I quickly scrambled for the remote, as Tom continued, _"Locals say that a pink converti-"_

The television was abruptly switched to a baking channel with an obnoxious background. I glanced towards Cat who did the same. She opened her mouth before a pressed my right index to my lips, shushing her silently.

I concluded that this was the last of this - _ever_.

And God be damned, I was wrong.

**. I .**

I raced through the crowds, desperately bumping my way towards my locker. Eventually, I managed to after giving a few apologies. I unlocked it, competing against the bell's shrill as it called out for the weekend. A multitude of masks and other costumes had populated the school for the day, since Halloween is only _tomorrow_. I had nothing to sport for the yearly occasion, aside from bowl-duty. Trina, meanwhile, got to go out to her first Halloween-college-party (she made a great, big deal out of it) and my parents to...wherever. And I had nothing, except giving bratty kids their stupid candy.

As I shuffled through my locker, expelling any unnecessary items for the weekend, I figured that it could be worse: I could be stuck with Robbie in maintaining a haunted house. I really did feel sorry for Cat, though he did ask her and she said she would.

I jerked violently once a thrashing _smack_ sounds from behind. Turning around with my heart pounding brutally, I found Jade smirking with a textbook laying - I imagined very hurt and bruised - on the floor. My eyes narrowed at it before I realized it's my history book. "Uh...thanks for returning it," I muttered slowly, picking up the rather heavy book. She continued to smirk as I set it amongst my other notebooks and supplies, and I could already tell she wants something from me.

Jade never smirked for _that_ long unless she wants me to do something.

"What do you want?" I asked.

There's a wicked gleam in her eyes and - my God - I could already feel the despicable sentence she's about to utter. "I have an idea."

Of course she did. "So...what is it?" I replied; Jade really didn't elaborate much. When she bit her bottom lip, attempting to contain her smirk, I knew it's a bad one. A really, _really_ , bad one. "...Jade?"

"I think we should spend Halloween together," she explained, leading me to only stare at her. She goes on: "At Mona's house."

There it was, the sharp claws tearing my gut. Over the past few months, there have been several, _several_ , times where I have switched to the news and watched reporters - including Tom Haiden - swarm Mona Patterson's house. First there was May when passersby saw that her house was in near-pristine condition. The gardens outside were decimated like her porch, and the windows and doors were surrounded by a black hue. Other than that, the house was found to be perfectly fine. Then in June, there were the videos surfacing on YouTube - as a trend - that showed people sleeping over at her house. Tom, of course, marked the occasions by speaking into the microphone. And then there was September where some guy had apparently thrown himself from the second floor window. He was homeless, as Tom said, and he didn't make it. The whispers circling around the school only add to the ordeal.

And Jade wanted us to go back. She waited for me, staring right at me until I said something.

"Forget it."

She rolled her eyes, immediately dropping her daunting smile. "Oh come on, Vega. Why not?"

"Because," I shut my locker door, "I _don't_ want to. I don't like that house and I never want to set foot there again." Jade crossed her arms, ignoring the students filing pass us. "No, I'm not going."

"Come on, I just want to go in there and look around. See what we didn't see before, right?"

I shook my head because it is the worst idea I've heard today. And this week. "Jade, we caused the fire, _remember_?" I asked in a hushed whisper. She only raised a brow. "Jade, I don't like that house."

"Well, it's a better idea than sitting home with a bowl in your hands." I frowned because I _really_ don't think it is. Jade sighed once she realized that I didn't want to do it, even if that means I have to give candy out to the bratty kids on my street. "Okay, whatever. Just thought you'd rather have something interesting happen for Halloween before college," she grumbled before turning her heel. "I'll just have to have all the fun myself."

The thought of her going around Patterson's house - alone - pained me. For one, I'd hate to know what she'd do. I doubted she would wreck anything, though I wasn't so sure she wouldn't land herself in trouble with that mouth of hers. Then there's the image of her replacing the homeless man; as much as she isn't my friend (for a number of reasons), I'd hate to switch to the news the next morning to find Tom reporting on a dead goth laying in the front lawn.

So when I do sigh, I can only picture the smirk that had spread across her lips when she halted - not one out of excitement, but of hope. "Wait," I groaned. She looks at me with one eye over her shoulder. "Fine, I'll come with. But you better not have us in trouble," I snapped.

She raised her hands, promising, "Alright, alright. I'll pick you up at five tonight."

I immediately lurched. " _Tonight_?"

"Yeah?"

"I- I thought you said we'd be spending Halloween at her house!" I stammered.

"Well, the morning. There was a news article saying that the street will be closed for the parade they came up with this year, so we wouldn't have the chance tomorrow," Jade explained smoothly. She smirked at me as I gawped at her. "Five-thirty then... See you Vega." I watched her as she strode confidently - borderline _cockily_ \- out the doors and wondered why the hell I'm doing this. I knew it won't lead to _any_ good.

I swore haughtily - Jade's some sort of bartering witch.

**. II .**

And now, I'm here.

Trina is settled on the couch, watching reruns of _Enemies_ while my parents are bustling around the house for a dinner. "So, wait... Honey, where are you two going?" Mom asks from the kitchen, her hands worrying about the casserole in a white dish. Trina looks over; this is the first time she's hearing about it.

I grumble, "I don't really know. She found some Halloween event in San Diego." My mom nods, too focused with the food to have a follow-up question.

"Who's taking you again? Beck?"

"No," I shake my head at his hopeful suggestion. "Jade."

"Oh." Even though I've told him at least twice now, he still gives a sigh of disapproval. "I thought she hated you. Didn't she push you off a set?" I nod hesitantly.

Trina intervenes: "And she sent her some petunias."

"Okay, yeah, she did. _But_ I didn't touch them," I mumble.

"Because of me."

Dad frowns. "Yeah...why are you going with her?"

Because I don't trust her alone with her fantasies, _and_ I don't feel comfortable knowing that Jade could land herself in a tight situation. "Well, she hasn't been _that_ bad to me lately." That last one is true, and probably the most true - the only one that's verbalized, anyway. My dad only shrugs as he fiddles with his tie, my mom carrying the casserole to the kitchen.

"David, could you help me with the broccoli casserole? I need to fix my hair."

As she leaves, Dad - without looking up - orders, "Trina, go put the dish in the car."

Trina rolls her eyes a groans. "I'm eighteen, Dad."

He pauses, blinking towards her. I suppress a grin as he arches a brow. "You haven't found a job yet, _or_ an apartment while you're watching T.V. Go put the dish in the car." Solely because she couldn't argue with that, Trina does her chore. The bell rings as she disappears into the garage, my dad striding to open the door. Upon finding Jade at the door, he grumbles, "Make sure my girl comes back in one piece."

Jade's lips curl into a twisted - though soft - smirk. "Oh, what about me?" As I step to Dad's side, I find what was supposed to be a stern, hardened gaze. The small grin ruins it; my dad and Jade have always had this weird feud. It's almost...friendly. After she gives a quiet chuckle, she nods and sincerely promises, "I will, Mr. Vega. She'll probably be back tomorrow noon."

He raises a brow. "Ten."

"Eleven-thirty."

Dad shakes his head with a wry smile before sighing, "Alright girls. Stay safe. I don't want to get a call from the hospital saying that you two need new faces."

"Bye Dad," and, "I'd hate to get rid of mine," are the two responses. The door is closed once we pass the lawn.

Once I'm _sure_ my dad won't hear me - and God forbid my mom - I comment, "You're an asshole."

Jade gives a half-hearted glare over her shoulder. "Relax. I'm not going to kill you, let alone break your leg."

"Yeah, like how you almost did last week before the play?"

She scoffs as the car unlocks. "That was Sinjin's fault."

"Uh huh," I hum, sliding into the car. "And you weren't the one who told him to kill the lights." As she buckles in, Jade shakes her head.

"You're telling tall tales," she retorts, the car blinking to life.

**. III .**

Our conversations thereafter began to decrease in volume, then further apart. I began to feel my anxiety build up, my heart bouncing off of my ribcage. Still, I didn't say anything about it to Jade, though I knew she felt there was something up - not that she said anything. There were a few curious glances that spoke of concern, though nothing more. She didn't really say anything once we got off the highway.

That is, until: "You ready?"

I take a deep breath, murmuring, "Sure." The car beeps behind us as we cross the street, striding towards the house. It's even worse than the videos or pictures in person; I don't know how to explain it, especially since it's the same thing. It looks more daunting - or haunted.

I shiver at the thought, edging myself closer as Jade opens a short, iron gate that's painted white. We step across the lawn, leaving me to hate the house even more; with a squeak that I _know_ I heard, the door opens. Jade's expression is immediately one of a strange curiosity - one that I've only seen a few times. "I'm going to look around the back, see if there's anything interesting." My throat's tight with nerves, so I just nod. I watch Jade leave me, disappearing off pass some shrubs.

So now, I'm alone debating whether or not I should go onto the porch. I can see the house's interior from the doorway, and it looks nice, actually; the place is more modern then I'd expected. My gaze flicks towards the window, however. There's a black hue around it, the flames engulfing the house having left their mark. There's also cracks in the glass, a lamp in plain view beside shifting curtains. I frown. They ease still after a short moment, but I'm unconvinced. My skin prickles against the collar of my shirt so much that I shift my light jacket against my neck.

I don't want to go to the porch.

But...Jade will probably drag me in anyway.

Pausing, I close my eyes as I rub my temple.

 _I shouldn't...but I should. I_ shouldn't _but I should._ With my thoughts all jumbled, I step onto the porch. Immediately I feel like I've been dunked into a vat of ice, the horrible feeling gluing me to the spot. _I shouldn't_. My body hesitates as I dart my stare around the front entrance. _But I should._ I walk onto the porch and to the door. With my hand on the door, I notice how warm the metal is - almost as if it was just cooling from a lick of a flame.

"HEY!"

I scream and scamper back down the porch with a wide, toothy grin bearing down at me. I glare at her heatedly. "That's _not_ funny Jade!" I whine, whacking her shoulder as she chuckles her way down to me.

"I'm not sorry," she snickers. Jade leads me inside and closes the door, the chilly draft now blocked. I survey the room, finding another set of doors to the side. I give Jade another sneer over my shoulder. I find her still looking at all of the furniture and other trinkets, a cruel smile twisting her lips. As we near the kitchen, I look over towards great double-doors, finding a nice sun room. There's long benches - which I recognize from my dad's search for better storage units - amongst a plethora of potted plants and small tables.

I shudder when I hear small clicks. " _Jade_ , you said you weren't going to touch anything."

Jade shrugs as she tinkers with a tall, old grandfather clock. "I haven't seen one of these in years...what time is it?" I scramble to check my phone when she answers for herself: "Eight twenty-nine... Well, now it's six...nineteen." She flashes a quick grin towards me. "We can wake up before three tomorrow with this big alarm clock."

"Does it ring?" I ask, striding over.

"It still works, and it looks like it has new parts and all that...so it should. Anyway," she claps her hands together, "let's look through the whole thing." I groan behind her, shaking my head. I shiver, feeling a stare burning at my back, though when I look behind me, there's nothing there.

**. IV .**

I feel my stomach lurch when she finishes her story, a bottle hovering in the air before smashing against the floor playing in my head over and over. I don't know if it's either because I'm startled by Jade's numerous stories, or if I'm just hungry. Jade leans against the couch, studying her knuckles. I assume she's hungry too when she asks, "Want a bite to eat?" I only nod slowly. "Oh come on, those stories aren't that bad. There's movies about worse."

"I know," I grumble defensively, "it's just different when you actually experienced some yourself."

She arches a brow as her fist balls around her keys. "Oh? Have you experienced anything... _creepy_? Watched the Teletubbies when you weren't supposed to and saw an ominous shadow in the corner?" Jade snickers as I huff, folding my arms. She grips the front door before wrenching her hand away from it. "Ow...what the-" Jade growls, twisting the door knob before jerking her hand once again. "It's locked."

I start from the couch, immediately gripping her hand. There's burn marks - light, mind you - that trail along her fingers. I find the remnants of a memorable burn etched in her skin, my mind going back to Sikowitz's house. "No..." is wheezed out passed my lips. I sink into a chair, Jade still standing by the door.

"...what?"

I look at her directly in the eyes. "We shouldn't have come here." Jade folds her arms, requesting another answer. "We shouldn't have come here, Jade. She's not letting us out!"

"Who?" she asks.

"Mona. Mona Patterson: She's been haunting the house, Jade. I- I've been feeling like we... She's been watching us." Jade blinks as everything spills out of me, my eyes burning. "Have you felt the same thing?" She only shrugs at the question, though I know - or at least hope - that she has too. "We can't get out."

Jade steps away from the door. "How do you know, though? Nothing serious has happened."

I shake my head. "I know how these things work, okay? My grandma told me that ghosts are hellbent on whatever goal they have in mind. They're dangerous because of it. I was _attacked_ because I wanted to visit her... You can't trespass on graveyards. I-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you going on about?"

"My grandma _died_ when I was a newborn, Jade. But I still was able to talk to her up until I was seven. I can talk to ghosts, okay?" I feel a pitiful tear leak down my cheek. "I can tell when there's something fucked up going on - like those damn candles. I _told_ you about them but you didn't listen."

Jade hushes me as she sinks down to her knees. "Okay, okay. Relax, Tori. We're going to get out, alright?"

"She's going to try to kill us. We destroyed her house."

"I- Yeah," she admitted weakly. "But Tori, I'll make sure you'll get out, okay?" I nod as I stand, Jade following my lead. "So, what now?"

"I guess we find her...ask her to let us go."

She looks at me as I wipe my cheek. "Are you sure?" I nod. We begin looking through the rooms, trying to find where she'd be. In all honesty, as we visit each bedroom, I begin to wonder why nothing _is_ happening. Other than the strange feelings, the house is completely normal.

"...Tori?"

I look up at one of the ceilings, immediately regretting my thoughts. A lightbulb hangs from the ceiling on its own, no chord or anything. "Uh...hello?" I ask quietly. As soon as the question is uttered, the lightbulb shatters and shards smash against the walls. I jerk away from the door as Jade does the same. The lights then decide to turn off.

Great.

Real great.

Finding a ghost without some light.

I hear Jade begin to fumble around for her phone. "God damn, I just had it in my...pocket." I furrow my brows once her face is illuminated in a white light. Then I realize the floating square in the darkness.

Text begins to type itself onto the screen.

 **It's about time we started this**  
game girls. I've been waiting for  
this chance, you know.

I fidget, feeling chilling tremors racing through my back. I gasp as soon as I feel warmth against my shirt, the cloth sticking to my skin. The long, twisting scratches along my back burn with a sudden flash, the phone cracking as I crumple to the ground. There's one final slash at my collar bone before the phone is smashed against the floor. " _Tori_!" Jade drops to her knees immediately, her hands finding my shoulders. I hiss at the pain, the lights flickering unsteadily as they hum back on. "Shit," she curses, "I- we need to find a medicine cabinet."

"What?"

"You're not walking around with flesh wounds if there's shit nearby," Jade growls as we hoist ourselves up. "You want that, right?" I nod since of _course_ I do. We stumble through the halls - the lights continue to play their games - Jade's tight grip around my wrist. She opens the door, grumbling about how this _witch_ is unneeded at the moment. "Alright, it doesn't seem like she's following us or anything..." Not now. "But, sit down there. I'll go through the bathroom."

The bed creaks quietly when I sit on the corner. The blanket is coated with a layer of dust, the pale patterns of flowers and vines dulled. The lamp at the side table blinks on before Jade strolls towards the bathroom, bathing the room in a quaint, orange light. The warm hue is only disturbed once the bathroom light hums, a long rectangle of white blinding the carpet. I hear Jade shuffle along the medicine cabinet as the long tracks of hissing pain prickles against my shirt. It's only when Jade's voice is right beside me when I see the antibiotic, alcohol and different bandages in her hands.

"What?"

"Take off your shirt. I can't get these cleaned with it in the way," she answers quietly. I oblige hesitantly, the long-sleeve eventually tugged from my shoulders. "And your bra."

I jerk, watching her with wide eyes. " _What?_ "

Jade quirks her pierced brow, snapping, "Your bra strap is still in the way. Just unclasp it." An exasperated sigh expels from my lips before I unhook it, settling with pressing the only layer of clothing to my chest. That whole issue, though, is nothing compared to the searing pain as she begins to gently rub my back with a damp rag. While her hands are soft, I still whimper to Jade's touch: The alcohol _hurts_. Even so, she continues working the back lightly, briefly visiting each cut. I press the bra against my chest tighter once she makes her way to the long, curved scratch at my collar bone.

There's a slow, awkward moment before she begins brushing the rag against the skin.

I wince at the light scratch, Jade's pale eyes flicking to my own. "Does it hurt?"

Nodding slightly, I swallow my small cry. "Not as much as the other ones, though," I admit. Jade's eyes remain focused on my collar bone, hands still rubbing against them softly. She moves to my back, spreading the antibiotics before placing the bandages over them. Because it's a quicker process, she's back to my chest once again. As I clip the bra back, I still feel her hand linger on the bandage. Her eyes are clouded as they survey the wounds. Before I can say anything though, I find her leaning closer.

Our lips connect, an immediate buzz running through my body. We move together before I lean away, my thoughts thumping erratically at the sudden, abrupt turn of events. "I-I-" I stutter, gawking at Jade. I immediately feel horrible, seeing her perhaps equally confused expression. "I- Jade-" I'm interrupted by a loud crash, the mirror shaking against the wall. There's no moment of speaking as I shrug on the shirt, stumbling after Jade.

We head towards the kitchen, our steps slowing around the corner.

Jade staggers back at the scene; knives are floating in the air, all hovering and facing the two of us. That isn't what brings our hearts racing a marathon a minute, however. It's the horrid woman standing behind the floating knives, her eyes glowing viciously and dress in a sinister light. We don't have to ask who she is.

It's Mona Patterson, dead or not.

_"What are you two doing in my house?"_

I shift my eyes briefly to Jade, not surprised when I find a blank stare. She doesn't understand her.

I clear my throat, mumbling, "We- we were here to apologize..."

Mona folds her arms with a wicked scoff. _"Liar. Halloween's tomorrow._ That's _why you came. You came to mock me and my house."_

I shake my head earnestly. "We didn't mean to intrude, honest. We don't mean to mock or-"

 _"Silence."_ My eyes flood to the knives as they begin to spin. _"You two burned down my house. You two burned down the only thing I was proud of."_

"We're sorry. We never meant to. We meant to pay our respects, our friend, she was a huge fa-"

 _"I don't fucking care!"_ she snarls. There's a smirk that spreads across her face, one that doesn't bode well for either of us. I find my hand immediately snatching Jade's. _"I'll make this fun. You can't get out, as you know, but...you'll be able to be free of this house on one condition -"_ I tense, Jade's hand balling into a fist around mine. _"- you have to stay until three."_ I quickly blink towards the microwave, gulping down a knot: It's eleven-twenty.

My eyes dart to the knives as they remain still, winking at us in the light. "Jade, run," I whisper before we abruptly dart to the side. I whimper once the knives hit the wall that was behind us, wobbling as they sink deeper.

 _"You won't make it!"_ Mona snarls in the distance as we bolt down a lengthy hall.

This is the worst game of hide-and-seek I've played.

"Come on, in here," she hisses over her shoulder before I'm tugged into a room. She closes the door after ordering me to hide in the closet. After a few moments, I tense when I hear the shuffling of clothing. Jade stands beside me in the darkened corner. We hear stomps rocket down the hall, Mona completely passing the room. "What else should I know about ghosts?" she asks quietly.

I clear my throat, processing the question. "Well...they're, uh, they're not exactly physical. But they still do follow some of our natural laws. Basically, if there's a boundary like a wall or something, they can't go through it. Like I said before, they're not physical, basically the remains of somebody's mental self, or whatever. As they get older, they become more and more poltergeist-like, and less human." I like my lips, narrowing my eyes in search of other needed information. "Silver. They can't stand silver... Something like silver was cursed to be the only pure metal to control them, I don't know. But I know it burns them. And it can't be fake silver or part silver. It has to be pure."

Jade nods. I can practically feel her concentration on the noises at the opposite side of the house. "So if they're human, they'll still make human errors?" I bob my head. "We'll use that and hide until three, mess with her. Something like that."

I begin to chew at the inside of my cheek. I feel a twinge of guilt at my chest. "Jade?" She shifts her gaze towards me. "A-about that...uh, about what happened in the bedroom." She sighs, shaking her head.

"Forget it."

I purse my lips - which still buzz from her warmth minutes prior. "No, Jade, I mean it. I just- I didn't expect it and so I was just-"

" _For-get it_ ," she seethes through her teeth. I clench my jaw, ignoring any impulse to speak any longer. Instead, I listen to the footsteps padding towards us.

I hear the doorknob twist before muttering, "We have to go..." Jade only nods curtly before we bolt out of the room, not allowing Mona another second of thought. Of course, a lone lamp soars through the air, whistling passed us and into the wall. My feet already burn and I know this night's barely started.

**. V .**

"I fucking hate this bitch," Jade grunts as she shoves a desk to the door. It rattles against it, the smashed lamp (which had teetered to its end when Jade moved the desk) rolling off the floor.

"I hear you," I grumble, darting towards the other side of the room. I swing the door open and there's a small latter going up - the attic. Jade turns to me as I wave over, her steps hurried - though quiet - as she follows. The door is closed behind us, and so is the trapdoor. The attic is actually quiet large; there's desks, chests, wardrobes, mirrors and cabinets all around. We snake along as silently as we can, the door rattling and the knob squeaking below us still. Even though her cold grip around my wrist is comforting, when I cast a few glances towards the side, I shiver. Jade gives me a curious brow before I point towards the dusty wigs set on manikin heads. It also doesn't help that the heads all have eyes drawn on them, each one apparently following us as we step pass.

She halts, her brows furrowing. Turning to me, Jade mouths, _"One way out."_ There's a part of me that feels the hope diminish, and another that just shakes its head: Attics usually only have _one_ exit and entrance.

 _"Where then?"_ I ask silently. Her eyes scour for a hiding nook. Moments later, I follow her finger towards a desk with a large mirror, some blanket draping over the legs. It's perfect - we could hide under the desk's skirt. I nod slowly before we take a few steps.

However, there's a sickening jolt when we hear the desk downstairs move. I imagine its leg digging into the floor as it groans. " _Quickly_ ," she hisses sternly, her voice barely audible. We move forward, especially with the loud _bang_ from the room below. Jade lets me slip underneath the blanket first before she joins, curling beside me. Another door smacks against the wall - it's the one that leads to the ladder.

"Jade," I whine softly, "I hate this spot... I have a bad feeling."

She gulps, her head bobbing her agreement. "I saw the bookshelf was crooked beside it-" Her sentence is cut off when there's stomps storming up the ladder. Her hand cups my ear as her voice - shakily - whispers, "Check to see if there's room beside you." As my hand creeps underneath the blanket towards the side, I feel frigid air crawl against my skin while the trapdoor slams open. Jade's right though: There's a pocket from the crooked bookshelf. I tap her shoulder, jerking slightly once she jumps.

There's a quick, silent conversation before we scoot towards the pocket. It's a tight squeeze, but Jade is able to not touch the blanket at all.

We sit there, stock-still, listening to the creaking footsteps and grumblings. There's some scraping and moving things around, each begging me to let out a startled whimper. I don't though, not with the tense air suffocating me, the need to not speak for I'll die before I can and Jade's hand clasped over my lips, her other wrapped over my torso.

They get louder and louder, briefly pausing from time to time. I startle once books from the shelf begin to move haphazardly, tossed to the other side of the room. There's another slap against the bookshelf - one that I've heard a couple of times now - which reminds me of my dad whenever he can't get something to work. If the car isn't running, he slams his palms against the steering wheel. The toaster broken - he smacks the thing before he plugs it in. The internet being shit - my dad would pound against the keyboard until something is solved.

As Mona moves on, the books tipping to the side in front of me (the backboard, where we are, has a huge hole in it), I feel tears well. Questions begin to strangle my thoughts, my hope in getting out. They become more exaggerated when I hear the blanket lifted in an angry motion, her glowing eyes peering to the spot where we were just a minute or two before. _What if we didn't move? What if we don't get out? What if we're found on the front lawn, dead with our eyes open?_

I close my eyes, the tears streaming down my cheeks and travelling across Jade's knuckles.

My skin prickles against the collar of my t-shirt. _"I'll find you at some point, girls... Mona has a lot planned."_ I'll never know if she knew we were in there and said it, or mumbled it under her breath, thinking that we hid underneath the bed and got away. Jade's hand tightens around my waist, holding me closer to her. We hear her leave, though, stepping away from the attic. Jade's heart still hammers against my shoulder, neither of us moving from our uncomfortably close position. Scratch that, actually; it is comfortable, only because I can feel that Jade's alive and just as terrified as I am. Beside her thumping chest, her breath washes slowly against my neck, hitching ever other second. I can feel her hands grow more clammy by the minute, but again we don't move.

As the minutes stretch on, we hear shrieks and loud _cracks_ echoing throughout the walls of the house. Even though with every single livid noise, our breathing ease together. We actually _lost_ her. I don't know how we managed to, but we did. My eyes wander towards the desk. Maybe it was because of the tall jewelry box concealing us more. That, or perhaps she didn't know about the bookshelf being off-kilter.

For what feels like hours, Jade and I remain listening to the sounds, our joints beginning to ache. She clears her throat, humming, "Check your phone." Her hands don't remove themselves from their grasp as I shift, my phone then glowing a bright white. We blink rapidly as I turn the brightness down, showing her the screen: _1:57_.

I pull at the hand clasped over my mouth before murmuring, "Do we stay here?" She nods against my neck, her arm then clutching my right bicep.

My eyes settle to the room through hole in the bookshelf. I find my grip tightening over Jade's arm against my waist, the manikin heads staring at me from across the attic. The jump abruptly once there is a horrendous thud, toppling to the ground. Jade's mouth opens before I slap my own hand over it. I feel her lips against my palm as there comes another _boom_ , some shattering scratching against my ears seconds later. I look through the hole again; there's mirror fragments littering the floor. I hear Mona bellow, _"Where the hell are you, you wretched whores?"_ She's close by.

A hand shoots to my mouth before I get a chance to let out a shriek once the trapdoor snaps against the floor.

I feel her steps as they pound against the wood, her glowing eyes glaring throughout the room. _"I know you're here somewhere..."_ she snarls. There's sickening crunches as Mona Patterson steps onto the shattered mirror, and I can't do anything but watch her. Clawed nails are scratching along the desk tops, the doors to the wardrobes and even the walls. I hate it, I hate all of it. Jade is tense against me as I'm frigid against her.

Internally I begin to pray, long and hard, for me to live through this. _I swear I won't comment on Trina's screeching anymore._

Mona shrieks, a desk with stacks of boxes crumpling to the floor in a distorted pile. Her eyes swarm towards a large chest with a broken lock.

_I swear I'll donate the rest of my money to charity, like to the poor, hungry, strays...maybe even the poor hungry strays._

The chest shudders as she nears it, the lid snapping open with a horrendous squeal. Papers amongst papers fly everywhere, covering the floor with white. I close my eyes - only briefly - once a small letter, something like a thank-you note, flutters to Jade's shoulder.

_Just please...please, can she not catch us? Please, can Jade and I not be dead in the corner of this filthy attic?_

The envelope slips to the floor at our feet just as Mona screams again. The room suddenly smells rancid and smoky, the ghost flinging objects at random towards the walls. Many of them hit the book case. Some of them whiz directly towards my head, bringing me to Jade's chest. She cradles me tightly, her hands covering me as much as they can.

_Please, please, please, please, please._

I don't know what blasts through the hole, something that made it twice as big, but it slams against my hip and ribs. As much as I internalize it, my nails digging into Jade's skin even through her clothes, I let out the quietest yelp I can manage. The room is quiet thereafter, a clucking hum coming from the other side of the attic. I already know what it means - no need to look up. Mona heard that.

_God please, something happen. I swear, please...please, please, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplea-_

My pleas were answered: There's a long, droning chime racing throughout the house. Mona hisses, murmuring a quiet, though vicious, _"There you are..."_ She whips pass, flooding down the ladder with the chimes still ringing. Hesitantly, I pick myself off of Jade, finding a small - now broken - lamp on me. The shade rolls to my thigh as I look at Jade, gasping at the few bleeding cuts at her jaw. I reach out to touch them before she slaps my hand away.

"I'm fine," she grumbles. I furrow my brows, noticing the disbelief and awe in her eyes. "The grandfather clock..." she whispers. I arch a brow. Jade looks at me, a small smile cracking across her face. "The grandfather clock," she says again, "I was messing with it earlier, remember? I put it a few hours back."

A shaken laugh flows from my mouth; and I said she was an ass for doing such a thing. "Y-you're a god-send," I stutter, "I- I could kiss you right now." There's a warm, comfortable smile before it morphs into a frown of thought. "What?"

"She left because she thought _we_ were messing with it. _now_." The chimes, as she finished her claim, stops. Her eyes dart to mine, a blanket of worry amongst them. "We need to go, _now_. When she finds out what really happened, she'll know we're here." A knot ties itself at the base of my throat, constricting any voice that I have left. So I just nod. She grabs my wrist tightly, leading my through the blanketed desk. The attic now looks as if a tornado came in and had a frat party. I gulp, however, briefly imagining the papers replaced by my body parts as I step down the ladder.

The bedroom is a mess. The mattress is torn and the desk is pretty much in shambles. Jade leads me with her fist around my wrist, eyes darting to every possible hiding spot. "What about the sun room?"

Her answer is breathy: "It's on the opposite side of the house."

" _Exactly_." Piercing eyes shift back to me before Jade nods, continuing with our quick pace. We make it to a long hallway, a lone, mirror in the corner glinting at us. Jade jerks, shoving me back towards the end of the hall.

"Go, _go_ , she's coming around that corner!" she hisses violently.

I find a door and jerk it open. "In here?" Her forceful hand at my shoulder answers for me, pressing my body against the shelves. We barely manage to close the door with the two of us in the closet. My eyes lower to the crack at the bottom of the door - there's barely any light. Though, I still can see the shadows of Mona's stomping steps as they stream pass. We wait in the small space for a few minutes, listening to the terrible tremors coming from the attic. Once our hearts calm down, we decide to move. Jade opens the door as quietly as she can, only closing it once I was standing at the corner. This time, I take her wrist and walk to the sun room.

As we dart from room to room, our minds are collectively on the long storage-bench.

**. VI .**

I don't know how we manage to squeeze into the bench. But we do, and also come to find that Mona wouldn't go near us again. Sure, she'd run through the kitchen and make a wreck of things - which shares a wall with the sun room - and even shattered one of the windows with a lone knife. So we wait, bunched together within the storage unit, our backs pressed together. At first Jade had the idea of the two of us hiding in separate benches, though I disagreed: There wouldn't be any way of knowing what we were doing. She didn't argue, instead jamming the contents of the bench into the other one.

"Tori?"

"Hmm?"

Jade shrugs, grumbling with the loose nail that had been digging into her shoulder for the past hour-or-so. "What time is it?"

The house is calm, so her whisper sounds like a pencil dropping during a testing period. I hold my phone up, murmuring, "It's two fifty-three." I spend a few moments listening to her worries die down before grinning to myself. "It's almost time before we can get out."

"Yeah..." She allows a few chuckles. "Yeah, it is. I was thinking though, what if it isn't the end?"

"How'd you mean?"

I can practically feel Jade purse her lips at the thought, a quiet whine sounding throughout the house. "What if...she doesn't let us leave? I mean...she _really_ wants us dead." I don't say anything because I know she's right. There's nothing stopping Mona from doing us in, nothing except two things: we're apparently well-hidden and her promise. Ghosts can't break their word. They're bound to them since all they are is a psychic force.

But they can make loopholes for themselves.

Which is why we need to get out of here as soon as we can.

I grumble quietly, "Jade, let's try though. Let's get out of here while we still can."

"But it's not- What time is it?"

I check my phone. "Two fifty-eight. Look, Jade, we can get out of here without her knowing. We can get out of here and never speak about this again, never come back here." Her answer takes long moments, but she does lift the lid by a crack, peering out into the room. Another minute goes by when she announces that it's all clear.

We clamber out of the bench, still feeling the corners and walls that boxed us in at our joints. Even so, we continue forth, making our way towards the front door. There's nothing - nobody - around. We're in the clear, it seems. As Jade clutches the handle, turning it to open the door, I feel a strange twinge. It gets more extreme by the second, exaggerated by my anxiety. As the door creaks open, I flat-out feel a chill run down my spine.

_"Where are you two going?"_

Jade, who still holds the doorknob, turns over my shoulder, a terrified scowl etched in her face. I look behind and find Mona Patterson sneering at the two of us. My voice cracks, "It's three. We're leaving."

She snarls, _"Oh, you are leaving the house..."_ I feel something shove against my side, flinging me out through the door as it closes with Jade still gripping it. We're both flung out onto the concrete path, groaning at the impact. As we scramble to our feet, Mona wrenches the door open. Before she's able to say anything, Jade and I bolt towards the small path, and then to the gait. The white-painted iron gate closes a few feet from us, halting our steps.

Jade spits a few obscenities before reaching her hand to jerk it open; it doesn't work. "Ow! _Fuck_ , not again!" she snarls, gripping her blistering right hand. We both turn at the sound of a snapping twig, Mona leering at us with a humorous grin. Jade narrows her glare before snapping, "Leave us alone!" She steps in front of me, her left arm out. Mona only arches a brow.

 _"You're never leaving this property,"_ she seethes. I widen my eyes as she darts forward, jerking Jade's hand. We snake around the corner before sprinting towards the lengthy back yard, stampeding towards the woods.

"How much of this is hers?" I ask Jade through a grunt.

"Most of it," is all her answer.

I let go of her hand as we charge forward, hurling ourselves over piles of leaves and logs. Once my breath hitches, I look over my shoulder; I can't find Mona. But, I do still hear her wails. We continue booking it to wherever we can, Jade leading one moment and me the next. And as we continue to race through, I begin to wonder _just_ how much property Mona owned.

Irony decides to have fun seconds after I think the thought. Jade - with a foot or two ahead of me - rockets through the air and into a tree after some explosion. I was lucky to only fall onto my back. "Jade? _Jade_?!" I screech, shuffling to her side. Jade blinks her eyes, looking half-dazed and half-nauseous.

"...wut the fuck?" comes drawled from her lips.

I grin softly despite myself. "I think we can't go that way." Jade shakes her head, a small smile forming as well. It's immediately dropped when a tooth falls from her mouth.

She licks her lips, feeling the blood before scowling. "God damn it," she growls as her fingers pick up a molar. I grimace, picking up my gaze.

It feels like a fist had rocketed to my lungs when I see glowing yellow eyes dancing at us, her white dress illuminated in the early-morning's light. "Jade, we need to run." I scamper up before helping her to her own feet. I grunt once she trips, wheezing about her head splitting. "C'mon, we need to go." She nods, perhaps blinking the ringing pain away. It's only when Mona shrieks, screaming vulgar language at us when we sprint down the declining woods.

Like before, our path twists and turns away from her, loosing her attention fairly quickly; it also helps that we're faster. Somehow... I like to believe that the holy-mother-fucking-Christ-we're-going-to-die feeling is encouraging our adrenaline. Even with the screams' volume dying as we run away, we still - you know - _run_. I glance over my shoulder, finding that there is no ghost behind us. That move proves to be a bad one though.

I feel a livid pop as I slam my foot into a sudden hole, my whole body twisting. I slam into the ground, Jade halting not a second after. I curse, gripping my ankle. I can practically feel it swelling under my fingers. Even though my heart is still pulsing with a need to live, I still can't help myself think and loath my current situation.

_Wow..._

_What a great time to twist your ankle._

Jade ushers me, helping me back up. I take a step forward before grunting, collapsing into her grasp. "I- I can't," I hiss, feeling my eyes burn.

"Come on: Arm," she grumbles. With my arm over her shoulder and vise versa, we stagger through the trees. I feel my hope start to disintegrate: We aren't covering as much ground as we were before. Not that we would've lasted as long as I would've liked, not with our wheezing breaths. Jade - through her breaths - stammers, "We'll...we'll go over and- and hide out with those trees over there. Maybe it'll take her longer to find us when we're not running around like lunatics."

I nod numbly, giving a weak, "Yeah." Once we reach the small grouping of trees, she leans me against one. As I settle down, she lowers beside me, her eyes wondering around. I know what Jade's thinking, which is a rare thing: If this will be enough to fool Mona, and if our mud-splattered, dark clothing will be camouflaged against the trees. The chill sinks into my skin as we sit there, shifting to huddle against one another.

The sky draws my gaze towards it, the small twinkling stars and soft, light black paling to blue. There's no wicked ghost to be heard, only the whistling night-creatures turning in while the others begin blinking awake. I'm so lost in straining my ears to listen pass the harmonic sounds that I barely hear Jade.

"I'm sorry..."

It's weak and nervous, immediately snapping my attention towards her tearing eyes. "I- We should've never come... I should've never..." Her gaze drifts towards mine, becoming more glassy. "I'm sorry," she finishes, "I- I never meant to get you hurt."

I brush a stray tear before humming, "It's okay, I'm alr-"

"No, _no_ , it's not. You told me before and I-"

I shake my head. "You didn't know. I can't blame you," I sigh. "Just...just stay here, with me, and I'll be good. Okay?" Jade nods slowly before her arms wrap themselves around my shoulders, her warmth battling against the cold air.

I burrow myself in it, to the point that I don't remember closing my eyes. I do remember, though, her pulsing heart as I felt her fingers draw circles against my back.

**. VII .**

The world around me is blurred when I wake. I blink the poor vision away, only to feel a sharp throb at my temple. I clutch my head as I sit up right, glancing towards the tree, furrowing my brows.

I don't know where Jade is.

The thought immediately sends a pang straight through my chest as I whirl about. She's gone, my eyes only catching the wind rustling against sodden leaves along the ground and trees. The early sun gives the air a nice, orange glow.

I don't fucking care, however.

I don't know where _Jade_ is.

My eyes slide towards the irregular tracks leading away from the tree. Thanks to my dad, I know what they mean: She was drug away against her will. Leaves are thrashed away from the muddy lines which are far from straight. They jerk from side to side, depicting her prior writhing struggle. It's only a few moments later when I hear my name. " _TORI!_ " It's shrieked across the woods, my skin prickling against my shirt. I stand up before staggering; I forgot about my damn ankle. Toppling to the ground, I grip it tersely, my eyes stinging. It's swollen with dark purple bruises lining the heel. Jade's scream pick up my attention once again, and I decide that no little sprain will stop me.

I force myself to my feet, then to step forward. My ankle slams my knees to the ground and I let a whimper loose. Though, I start up once again, struggling towards her inconsistent shrieks. I ponder at the idea of me _sleeping_ through hours of her calling for me, or even a few minutes. It sends an arrow of pain through my breast, one that I'd rather have two sprained ankles than it. After a few paces, I crumple against a larger, tougher oak, my stare settling towards the blurred figures a few yards away.

I wipe my eyes, revealing a horrific scene. Jade shivers as Mona throws large branches at her, only adding to the large gashes sliced through her clothes, namely her arms. The wretched ghost sputters some garble that I can't understand from here, Jade whimpering in response. As I stagger to my full height - I use the tree as a support - the branch sends a violent whack which hurtles down at her. Jade cries out in agony, her other arm clutching her right tightly. " _Fuck you_!" she snarls, spitting at the ghost's feet.

 _"You don't stop, do you?"_ Patterson snaps in response, sending another blow to the same arm. Jade doesn't understand her words until the branch slashes against her shoulder. She collapses completely to the ground, her body shivering in horrified tremors. When I hear her whimper my name, it is only then I notice just how close I am behind Mona. I never even noticed my steps away from the tree, or even when I acquired a branch of my own.

I raise it as I would a baseball bat, my seething glare set right on her white head.

Mona's head, however, turns like an owl's as I swing. The branch crashes against the tree as she dissipates into the air, a vile, ruthless chill biting against my skin. Jade whimpers as the pieces of the branch shatters above her, splinters digging into my palms. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry Jade," I croak. She peers at me weakly, a watery smile crossing her lips. I help prop her against the tree, grimacing at the state of her. The right arm - though it's not the worse I've seen - is a crooked, bloodied mess. There's a long cut that runs from her temple to the side of her cheek, and a dark bruise settled underneath her left eye. There's cuts that run beside deeper gashes along her neck, and several jagged slashes down her forearms.

"It's fine," she manages, her voice just as hoarse as mine. "Just get my scissors...she hated them."

"What?"

Jade rolls her eyes. I can't even believe she has the capacity to do that, at the moment. "My scissors, over there." She points towards a glint in a murky puddle. "The damn bitch got me over here and I started to pull them out-" Jade coughs "-and then she threw them away. Her hand burned as soon as she did too."

I furrow my brows before I understand. "They're pure silver, aren't they?"

"Damn right. I swear I'll give Cat all the money in the world for giving me those for Secret Santa." Jade grunted as she resituated herself, leaning against the tree with a more sunken frame. Bushes rustle in the distance (admittedly, not all that far but with this fucking ankle, a few feet is _far_ ), Mona Patterson staring at the two of us with a scornful gaze. I immediately haphazardly dart towards the scissors. She follows with her obnoxious wail, streaking across the trees. I stumble at the last few steps, my hand frantically gripping the water for the blades.

As I whip around to find her sagging skin and rotting flesh, the scissors shine in my fist. "Get away from me, you _bitch_ ," I warn lividly.

 _"You wouldn't dare,"_ she hisses. In a quick motion, I slice at her creeping hand. Mona whines as she shuffles away, clutching her smoking wrist. _"You fucking whore!"_

I scurry away before worming my way in between trees awkwardly before Mona pounces towards where I previously was. I nearly feel as if I am at a safe distance when a cold, tight hand snatches my twisted ankle. I sob loudly, my leg attempting to jerk free from her grasp. "Let me go!" I scream.

 _"This is all your fault! I can't leave while my house is in ruins!"_ she shrieks back.

"Well maybe this wouldn't have happened if you just put a 'No Candle Please' sign out on your lawn!"

I don't have any clue as of why I shouted _that_ and neither did Patterson. There was a short silence of us just blinking at the thought. Before anything else, I quickly hurl myself towards her, slashing her arm that still grips my ankle. She wrenches herself away from me, away from my ability to catch her with the silver edge. So, I throw it - right at her head. The scissors flail towards her throat, plummeting through her. Nevertheless, she clutches it tightly, dark, brooding smoke coming in tendrils from her fists. She emits a terrifying roar, her clawed, knobby, raw hands reaching for me.

And then she's gone, burnt in the sun's light. I find it a tad bit anticlimactic.

Heavy breaths spill from my lungs as I weakly laugh my surprise. My hands grip the ground tightly as my watery gaze blurs over. Once I wipe my eyes with my dirty sleeve, I look over towards Jade. Hastily picking up the scissors, I trudge my way towards her, her slumped body a sudden, crippling worry. As I come closer, I sigh with relief: She's breathing.

Jade opens an eye slowly, the other blocking the sun. "Is she dead?"

My answer is hesitant as ghosts, from my knowledge, are already kind of dead. "I...think so," I mumble slowly.

"Good," Jade hums, closing her eyes. "She was an annoying bitch anyway."

I chuckle weakly, settling down beside her. "Yeah, well...it was kind of your fault that we were here, no?"

Jade scoffs before her pale eyes flash open. "My fault? I wasn't the one who put the candle down!"

"Neither was I," I remind her.

She pauses before growling, "God damn it, Cat." I shrug, handing her the silver scissors. Jade glances down towards them with a blank expression. "Forget what I said about giving her all the money in the world. She's not getting a fucking penny. Not _one_." I only smile as she continues with her short rant, watching the soft breeze brush against the trees. After a short while, we sit in a silence, just appreciating the fact that we are _not_ dead.

It's a good feeling, I'll tell you that.

"Jade?"

"Hmmm?"

I skirt myself towards her, leaning my head against the tree. She watches me with an arched brow, waiting for me to say anything. I don't have anything to say, I find, though it apparently suits us both well; I feel her grip my jaw with her free, uninjured hand, lips gently brushing against my own. The kiss lingers for a few seconds, and I don't want it to end, not like how it had before. It breaks momentarily before I indulge myself deeper. And I find, as she pulls away, even with her split lip, my heart still skipped a beat. "How about we just get out of here?" she whispers softly. I nod slowly, following after her as she stands up. Unlike me, she stands strongly on her two feet as she helps usher me through the trees. We struggle, as I wobble about, around the woods, soon finding the sidewalk. In the distance, Jade's car blinks as she presses against the remote keychain.

We venture up the sidewalk, slowly making our way towards the vehicle. "You know what we should do next?"

"Go to the hospital?" I ask.

Jade shakes her head. "No, after that."

I furrow my brows before replying, "What?" I feel like I've dug myself a hole just by doing that.

"We should watch 'I Married My Mom' when we get back." I halt at her smirk, glaring at her. She isn't kidding. "Come on, we can burn them after."

With a tight grin and a shake of the head, I sigh, "Fine, whatever." We snicker as we continue to hobble our way, the car close to our accessibility.

"Whoa..." I then stop at her breath, turning towards Mona's house. My eyes open wide at it, and I gawk in disbelief; the house is completely demolished. All of the wood is belittled to a crisp while the stone in the structure is black. Any furniture and such left are stacked in messy mounds, littered along the floors and what framing is left of the structure. Together, we watch the house for a few more minutes before shifting into the car and driving off towards the closest hospital.

We silently agree never to explain what we saw that night, nor how we start to date. We silently agree to lie about how we managed to land ourselves in the hospital - especially to my dad - and why Jade needed a new phone; a story about some crazy people at the Halloween event was told instead.

We also silently agree to never speak about how the candles remain (as we saw them) to be untouched, the wax melted with their wicks straight. Nor do we speak about how the cinnamon bun scented candle's flame flickered, right on the step where Cat had left it.

In fact, we agree never to tell Cat why we burned her favorite television show after watching them.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried another horror thing...which was enjoyable to write, I'll say. Now, not sure how well I did, so you can tell me. ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, as always!  
> :)


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